Gobber's Daughter
by DragonLover43
Summary: Speranza is a young Viking girl who is taken in by Gobber when she's six years old. Filled with gratitude she swears a private oath that she'll look after him and the people who helped her. (Crossover due to later chapters which include her mining and building tools using ores she finds. She also will do some trading to the benefit of Berk.)
1. Chapter 1

Speranza, a young Viking girl who lived with her father, woke up hungry, as usual. She went downstairs and stoked up the fire quietly, trying not to rouse her father. Then she silently lifted the cauldron to the hook and added water and a little yak milk before pouring four pounds of porridge into the simmering liquid. Once it was done she braced herself as she made her way over to her sleeping father. He had a flask of smelly alcohol in his hand. She knew she would be hit so she shook his wrist gently. He woke with a grunt and smacked her into a corner.

"What?" he growled. He didn't give her respond as he picked her up by the hair. She winced but didn't cry out. It would only have made him angrier.

"B-breakfast is ready," she whispered loud enough for him to hear. He dropped her and she huddled in the nearest corner. She curled up as he dug in.

"Go get more firewood," her father ordered. She had long given up on calling him "Daddy;" he acted more like a cruel slave owner. She knew it was because her mother had died giving birth to her, so she didn't hate him, but he made her fear him. She nodded and left with a small hatchet and basket for carrying back the wood.


	2. Chapter 2

On her way out of town she passed by the blacksmith's shop and home. He was stoking up the fires in his forge and waved to her when he saw her.

"Morning, Speranza. Off to get firewood?" he asked. She didn't respond just silently nodded.

Stoick stepped out into the cold morning. He took a deep breath and sighed. He caught sight of her and smiled. He also gave her a wave. She forced a smile and sent it his way. It was her 6th birthday today but it felt no different from any other day of her life. Twenty minutes later, she had cut down and chopped as much wood as she could carry; she set her hatchet in a loop on her belt, hefted her load over her shoulder and began stumbling back to the village. A gust of wind blew her over just before she got to her house and her father stepped out as she was picking herself up and had begun putting the wood back into the basket. She hunched her shoulders as he came up behind her. He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her around the back of the house. There was a chain back there he hit her with when he was especially angry with her. Tears began spilling down her cheeks as he lay her stomach down over a downed log. It had deep gouges where he'd whipped her before. Out of the corner of her eye she spied movement but didn't have time to react before the chain snapped across her back. She bit back a yelp and set her teeth for the next blow. He picked her up and she faced him. His foot setting was indicative of what he was doing: he was going to backhand her. The cracking of knuckles made her scalp tingle in fear. He was also going to punch her. She braced for impact. Just before she was expecting the blow, a sound caught her ear. She peeked through a cracked eyelid and saw a different pair of boots. She hesitantly looked up and saw Chief Stoick standing there, grasping her father's wrist. His face was dark. Hiccup tugged at her sleeve but she was too scared to move. Gobber picked her up gently and carried her out of danger.

"You just lost your right to that little girl," a furious Stoick growled. "No child deserves what you've done to her."

Gobber spoke up. "If you want, Stoick, I'll look after her for a bit until someone else is deemed fit or volunteers," he said.

Stoick was too mad to respond. He just nodded, not taking his eyes off her father.


	3. Chapter 3

Speranza wasn't sure what was going on. Gobber brought her back to his house while Stoick took care of her father. Hiccup tagged along, looking a bit shell-shocked. When he had seen her father pick up the chain and drape her over the log, he'd run off to get his Dad. Gobber guided her into the living room and she instinctively went into a corner and curled up, looking out warily. He sighed and sat down on a bench, switching out his hook for a bludgeon in case her father came for her. He didn't think it would happen, but he was being cautious. Hiccup sat down not far from her and began talking to her.

"Gonna be a nice day," he said. She didn't reply, just watched him fearfully. "You're safe now, Speranza. Don't worry." A knock sounded and Gobber's shoulders tensed up. He got up and held his bludgeon back slightly to bonk whoever it was on the head of they were a threat. He opened the door and Gothi was standing there. He stepped back and let her in. The elder approached Speranza and looked at her. The young girl trembled.

Gothi didn't look threatening so she relaxed somewhat. She let her come closer to look her over. She touched her back and watched angrily as the young girl tried not to cry out, whimpering slightly instead. Angry voices could be heard outside and she put her hands tightly over her ears, shaking. Gothi tapped on Gobber's shoulder and wrote some scribbles in the dirt.

Gobber's eyebrows furrowed. "Right I'll tell Stoick at once," the elder nodded and beckoned Hiccup over. Speranza shrank back as he approached. Gothi put a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder. Hesitantly, she uncurled herself from the knot she was in.

"Speranza, you hungry?" Gobber asked. She gave a small nod. He rummaged around and came up with some fish and a half a bun. He gave them to her and her eyes widened. She hadn't seen that much food before and been allowed to eat it all. She pointed at it.

"Is that all for me?" she whispered. Gobber nodded. "Thank you."

"You'll get as much food as you can eat. You don't have to worry about anything anymore," he said. "I'll keep you safe, Speranza. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

Later that day, Gobber brought Speranza to the Great Hall, where she looked around in wonder. She hadn't been allowed to go to the Great Hall. There was the whole village there. It was a little overwhelming to her so she held back a bit. Her father was there and she gasped before looking at her little booted feet. Gobber saw him looking at her and stepped in front of her protectively.

"You'll never have my kid," hissed her father, voice so angry it made her quiver like a cornered rabbit.

Stoick cleared his throat as Gobber put his hand on her shoulder protectively. The gesture made her feel a little safer. She decided that she liked Gobber. He'd fed her, hadn't once raised his voice or fist against her, and had protected her when she felt scared.

"Let's call this meeting to order!" Stoick boomed. His voice wasn't angry, just strong. "I've called you all here today to hear and pass judgement on Speranza's father, Rae Lavalout. He is being charged with child abuse and neglect. I have witnessed it and removed her from the situation." There was applause. "Furthermore, there is evidence that this has been going on for a very long time. Gobber." He gestured at the blacksmith who walked up to the stage, Speranza hiding behind him like a little fawn. She hid behind his back when she realized how many people there were.

"Gothi told me that she had several broken ribs, many of which were healing, if improperly," he blacksmith said. "And as is clearly visible, she is underweight and undernourished. When I gave her half a bun and a fish, all I could find that could be eaten right away, she asked if it was all for her!"

A cry of horror rang through the crowd and angry looks were sent her father's way. He stared drunkenly forward in defiance.

"So what if I've disciplined her? She killed my wife!" His voice cracked but he shot a resentful glare her way when she peeked out from behind Gobber. "She deserves it."

"No," Gobber and Stoick roared in unison. "No child deserves what you've put her through," Stoick growled. Gobber put an arm around Speranza protectively.

"Kill him!" "Banish him!" The crowd roared. Punishment it seemed would be the only satisfactory answer. Stoick looked around before holding up his hands to quiet the outraged Vikings.

"Rae, for your crimes against your daughter, I hereby sentence you to banishment! You will be branded with hot irons to show the world of your treasonous ways," Stoick announced. "May Hel have a special place set aside for you. The gods wouldn't accept you even if you died the most heroic death."


	5. Chapter 5

Gobber lead her to his house and she went into the corner again. His heart sank; she was still so scared. Agonized screams could be heard from outside and she whimpered and curled up as she covered her ears trying to block out the noise. He stood up and got down some fabric and stuffing. Carefully threading a needle, he began to sew. It had been something he'd picked up from Stoick's wife, Valka, and he decided to make her a little stuffed Gronckle. An hour later, he was satisfied and the screams of agony had ceased. He took two buttons and used them for eyes, stitching them securely in place. It had little floppy wings and adorable dangling legs. He held it out to Speranza.

"Happy birthday," he said quietly with a warm smile. She unknotted herself and slowly came out of the corner. She looked at the toy and then up at Gobber. There was no malice in his face so she relaxed and took the toy.

"Thank you," she whispered again. She looked at the toy then hugged it closely. He relaxed and smiled even brighter.


	6. Chapter 6

A few of the women in the village came by and dropped off some new clothes for her and helped her change after she hesitantly left the corner. They were extraordinarily gentle with her, especially around her ribs and back, where horrible ragged, roped scars lined her back. They even coaxed her into a bath and then brushed her hair for her and braided it back into two pigtails that rested easily on her shoulders. Once they finished, she looked much better as she clutched the toy Gobber gave her close to her frail chest. Hiccup and some of the other children came up to her.

"Hey," Astrid said with a smile. She huddled close to Gobber's home, ready to nip inside if she felt threatened.

"H-hi," she whispered shakily. She wasn't cold, just scared.

"What's wrong with her? Why can't she speak normally?" Snotlout said loudly. Hiccup jumped to her defence.

"She's been scared her whole life, Snotlout, lay off," he snapped.

"Who's gonna make me? You with your skinny arms?" sneered his opponent. He made a fist and flexed his arm. "This, is a real muscle." Speranza gasped and ran inside, scared that she was going to be hurt again. She bolted to the corner and silently cried as she clung to her little knobby knees, temporarily forgetting about her toy.


	7. Chapter 7

Gobber found her twenty minutes later and sat down not far from her, not shying away from her, but not reaching out to her. "C'mere if you want," he murmured. She sniffed and crawled into his arms. He held her and rubbed her shoulders soothingly. "Easy, it's okay now. You're not in any danger from them."

Stoick knocked on the door then came in. She hunched over and tried to make herself smaller. She was already small for her age, about a third the weight she should have been and half the height. "Where is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's right here, just calming down," Gobber replied just as hushed. "Crawled into my arms when I told her she could if she wanted. I think all she wants is some love."

Stoick made no sound, so Speranza began to get curious. She peeked out and saw him looking off into the distance thoughtfully. He had a leaf in the fur on his back and made him look kinda funny.

"Hehe," she giggled a little. Gobber looked down at her and she shrank in on herself again. "H-he has a leaf on his back."

They both checked and a half-dead leaf fluttered to the ground. Trying not to scare her, they chuckled lightly. "You feeling okay?" Gobber asked her.

"Mhmm," she said very quietly.

"What scared you?"

"One of them showed his muscles and made a fist." A spark of understanding came to Stoick's eyes.

"Who was it?"

"Hiccup called him Snotlout, I think," she said softly. It had been the first time anyone had carried on a conversation with her for any extended period of time. Her throat started to hurt a little and she rubbed it after she spoke.

"Throat sore?" Stoick rumbled gently. She nodded silently. "Would you let Gothi look at it?"

"Mhmm," she said. Stoick leaned out the door and sent for Gothi. The elder showed up not long after, looking cross.

"Sorry for bothering you, Gothi," he said. "Speranza's throat is bothering her. Would you mind taking a look at it?" Speranza noticed that the chief highly respected the elder. It made her almost fear her, but the memory of her gentleness earlier calmed her.

Gothi nodded and gestured for Speranza to come sit by her. The young Viking did so and opened her mouth at another motion. Again, the elder's eyes grew dark with anger. She turned and began scribbling on the ground.

"It looks like she swallowed hot iron her whole life," Gobber translated. "I'll make medicine and send it when it's ready. She'll need to take it twice a day, once in the morning and then again at dinnertime. It should soothe the soreness and heal her throat."

"Thank you, Gothi," Stoick said, obviously trying to keep his voice low so he didn't frighten Speranza into the corner again. The elder nodded and made a crude gesture, showing her thoughts for the young girl's father. He snickered. "Aye, it's true."

"What did she say, Stoick?" Gobber asked. the chief leaned in and whispered into his friend's ear. "Opfffft-haha! Oye, that's a goody. I'll make sure to keep that one for a rainy day. Hehe." After the medicine was brought, Speranza took a spoonful and closed her eyes as it immediately soothed her red, burning, raw throat. There was some honey in it that made it easy to take.

"Where will I be sleeping?" she asked, a little louder than normal. Gobber smiled as she spoke at an average level.

"I'll find you a place, don't worry. You don't have to sleep in a corner any more. I'll have a bed made for you," he said to her. The news sank in slowly for Speranza.

"You mean, I can stay?" she whispered in excitement. The blacksmith nodded and returned the hug the young Viking gave him after a moment of surprise. He smiled happily. This promised to be a good arrangement.


	8. Chapter 8

A bed was dragged into the blacksmith's house and up the stairs to a small bedroom, but Speranza couldn't have been happier. She knew she didn't have to be scared anymore and would finally be allowed to sleep in a bed. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what a bed was, but she hoped it was better than sleeping in a corner.

"There," Gobber said to her. "Now you have a bed, and I'll get you a pillow and blanket and you'll be ready for sleep tonight."

She nodded happily and followed him when he left the room. She was excited, but still held a lingering fear that this was all a dream.

That night, Gobber spread the blanket over her and slipped a pillow under her head. She snuggled down comfortably for the first time in her memory. Speranza looked around for the little toy and sat up, worried when she couldn't find it. The blacksmith was confused for a moment and tilted his head curiously.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"The little toy you gave me. Where is it?" she asked quietly. She leaned over to look under the bed, trying not to get so scared she cried, which often happened.

"Don't worry. It can't have gotten far," Gobber tried to soothe. She sat back and hugged her knees to her chest, pressing her face into the nest she made. "Ah..." He was quiet for a moment and left the room. She could hear the sound of him turning the house upside down as he looked for it. "I'll be right back, Speranza!" His voice was a little louder, but she knew it was so she could hear him clearly. The sound of the door opening and closing and hurrying footsteps headed away from the home. She got up and looked around the sparse room. Nothing there but darkness. She sat down on the wooden bed to wait.

Meanwhile Gobber had hobbled all around the village before finally going to Stoick's. He knocked on the door and Hiccup answered.

"Have you seen Speranza's toy?" he asked the young boy breathlessly. "I can't find it anywhere."

"No. Last I saw it was when she dropped it as she ran inside your house when Snotlout scared her," Hiccup answered. "I'll go get my dad. He's still at the Great Hall."

"Right. Thank you," the blacksmith wheezed as he turned and waddled off. He stumbled up the stairs to the Great Hall and paused briefly to catch his breath. The thought of Speranza huddled scared with nothing to hold made his wind return almost instantly. He opened the door and immediately felt awkward. He felt every eye in the room turn to him. "Eh...I can't find Speranza's toy?" His voice unintentionally raised in a questioning manner as his arms seemed to follow suit, getting a life of their own and spreading slightly.

Stoick straightened and sighed. "Well it's late. I'd hate for her to spend another night alone without a toy to cuddle; Hiccup used a pillow because he was afraid of the one Valka made for him," he said. Gobber only heard the slight, undetectable catch in the chief's voice because of their friendship. He'd been with Stoick all that night, helping him keep strong for Hiccup and the village. He'd even taken shifts when Stoick's boy was sick with fever and the flu. The only good thing about that night was that he was fully weaned.

Another hour of searching turned up no sign of the doll. Gobber returned to the house, defeated. He climbed the stairs to Speranza's room with heavy steps when something caught his eye.

Up the stairs, Speranza heard him return home and judged by the sound of his footsteps that he hadn't found the Gronckle toy. She had anticipated this so she wasn't too surprised. She was, however, afraid he would be angry with her for losing it. He appeared in the doorway and she unconsciously shrank in on herself. He walked up to the bed and tucked her back in with one hand. His other hand he had behind his back. It was the hand that wasn't a hook. She watched him a little fearfully, but thought that if she showed how scared she was. Then he brought out the other hand. The Gronckle toy was there, a bit dirty and wet from where it had fallen in the mud, but otherwise it was unharmed.

"I'll wash this and bring it right back, okay?" he said gently. She smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically. He was gone and back five minutes later. The toy was now quite damp, but it was hers again. She hugged Gobber when she got it back. "Oho. Someone must have brought it in and left it in a little alcove just off the stairs. I found it when I was coming up. Sleep well and goodnight, Speranza." He spoke these words and returned her hug with a tight one of his own.


	9. Chapter 9

A while before dawn, Speranza woke up in a strange new room on a rather comfy bed. She didn't think too much of it though as she got out of bed and stretched. Then she shook off the sleep and went downstairs to prepare breakfast. She put milk and water into a cauldron and coaxed the embers into a small but sturdy flame. When the mix was steaming, she found some porridge and added it to the pot along with some syrup and a small handful of salt. Her hands were about average for someone half her age so a handful was a Viking pinch. As she stirred it, she heard Gobber wake up. She hurried to finish making breakfast and completed it when he got up to reach his arms out as far as he could. She turned to him.

"Breakfast is ready," she said. He blinked in surprise, having forgotten she was there. Then he smiled at her and took a deep breath in through his nose.

"Mmm," he said. "Smells good. What is it?"

"It's porridge. That's all I'm good at," she replied. He dished out a couple bowls for both of them.

He ate a spoonful then paused. He looked down in surprise. Then continued eating happily. It was the best porridge he's ever had. "This is delicious, Speranza. Thank you," he proclaimed. He pushed her bowl towards her. "Care to join me?" She sat down and smiled when he handed her a spoon. She took a bite and then eagerly dug in. When they finished breakfast, Gobber cleared out their bowls just as a knock sounded at the door.

Gobber looked at the door and opened it. Stoick and Hiccup were there, sniffing the air appreciatively. "Mind if we have breakfast here?" Stoick asked. The blacksmith stepped aside and gestured for them to come on in. They sat down at the table and Speranza tried to sneak back upstairs to play with her new toy. While they ate Gobber followed her upstairs and sat down beside her.

"Do you have anything you like to do for fun?" he asked her.

"Mhmm," she said with a nod.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I collect things in the woods that I can use in porridge and other food," she answered. "It's really fun exploring and finding things."

"How about I get you a basket, hm? If you want you can go exploring but be home for lunch when the sun is high," Gobber suggested. Her eyes met his, shocked. Never before had she been told to go explore and have fun. She smiled and nodded excitedly.

"I will," she said.


	10. Chapter 10

An hour later, Speranza was stepping into the bowy arms of the forest. She had a medium sized basket, a bit smaller than she was used to, and couldn't help but feel a strange new sense of being. For once she didn't feel rushed, she felt free. It was an exhilarating, terrifying experience. She decided to run through the forest and leave the basket by an area she went to often while she explored. There was a small snare there which she always checked. She had a small knife on her for protection. She ran until she was out of breath, pausing sometimes to make marks in the trees so she wouldn't get lost. She then turned around and began to walk back to the clearing. She looked at the sun and saw it was about half an hour before she was due back. She smiled as she filled the basket with as much as she could. A rabbit was hung up in her trap and she snapped its neck. When she was done it was much closer to the top than she was used to. Heading home, she was tired, felt warm, but was happy.

Gobber was just leaving the forge when she got back to the village. He smiled at her and waved. She happily returned to the house and set down her basket. She prepared the rabbit and threw in some wild onions and garlic she found. She took out a tool she always had in a bag and crushed both the garlic and onions. She then tore off and shredded the green onion heads. Gobber watched her, confused.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Cooking a rabbit I trapped. It's gonna be really good," she replied. "It'll be ready for supper. For lunch, are you alright with a sandwich?"

"Sure," he said. He got some bread and added some yak butter and cooked up some fish to put on them. He handed Speranza her lunch and she happily sat down to eat.

She bit into the sandwich and "mmm'd" in happiness. Though it was simple, she hadn't had something this good in a long time. Gobber smacked his lips when he finished, then brushed the crumbs from his hand, hook, shirt, mustache, and clothing. He stood and ruffled her hair before going back to work in the forge. The village needed more weapons, such as swords, axes and maces. Speranza followed him when she was finished, and tilted her head curiously. She saw him pump bellows into a bed of coals where there were metal pieces. With each squeeze, the flames flared briefly. She thought of how she could use the same idea. She had found some rocks that were shiny while exploring and ran off to ask for another basket. She got a small one and a broken pickaxe. She replaced what she could then went to the forge to see the blacksmith.

"Can I go into the forest again?" she asked.

"Sure," he said without turning around. "Just be back before sundown."

"Okay," she said happily. She skipped into the forest and went to a rock face where there was a small indent. She took out the pick and dug at some of the sort of shiny rocks. They fell away and she picked them up. She brought them to a clearing that had nothing but dirt on the ground. She gathered some firewood and built a fire. She took out a small cauldron she always had with her and put the rocks into the container. She then bent down and blew on the coals, strengthening the flames and causing them to flare. She kept this going until she saw the metal begin to glow white. She used some leather and dumped the metal out onto a flat rock that was nearby. She then used a rock and pounded the white hot metal. It shot sparks everywhere. Once she couldn't hit the metal anymore, she ran down to the stream and grabbed a pot of cold water. Darting back to the clearing, she dumped it over the stuff she had been beating. It hissed and steamed like an infuriated cat. Once the smoke and steam cleared, she found what looked like a knife blade that was oddly shaped at one end. She cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment. Her gaze drifted between the pickaxe and the piece of metal before her. She took the handle out of the pick and fitted the wood to the still warm metal. She tapped the butt of the pick against the rock, seating the metal securely. She turned it this way and that, smiling in admiration.

It was crude, but it was a metal pick nonetheless. She gathered more sorta shiney rocks and made her way back to the village. Her basket was heavy with raw, uncooked metal, but she knew if she explained to Gobber he would probably understand and might even help her.


	11. Chapter 11

When she explained to the blacksmith what she had discovered, he examined her handiwork, turning it as he studied it with a practiced eye.

"Huh," Gobber said, surprised. "This is a bit crude, but still very good." He turned to her again. "How did you make this?"

"Oh, I cooked these rocks then hit them with a rock when they were hard. It shot sparks everywhere," she said, bringing out the minerals.

He held out a hand and she gave him them. He took them over to the forge and threw them in before working the bellows again. Soon sweat began to bead on his forehead and he drug a forearm across his brow. The rock turned almost liquid before he took them off the fire with a pair of tongs and transferred it to his anvil. He used his hammer attachment and beat the crap out of the metal rocks before returning it to the flames again. Once it glowed white, he once again pounded away at it.

"Right," he said once he dunked it in a rain barrel after a final firing. He pulled it out after a few minutes and grabbed a stiff-bristled brush. The metal began to gleam almost immediately. He whistled in admiration. "This is some impressive metal, Speranza. The rocks you brought me must be from a good strong vein of iron."

"Is that a good thing?" she asked.

"Aye, it is," he said. "Bring me some more tomorrow if you think of it." He said it with a smile so she knew it wasn't an order, but a friendly request. She smiled back at him and nodded.

They had a late supper then went to bed.

The next morning, Speranza woke up to a very pleasant smell. She sat up and squeezed her Gronckle toy before setting it back on her pillow and pulling her blanket up tight. She went downstairs and Gobber had made breakfast of boar strips and eggs. He set a plate down in front of her and handed her a fork. She took a bite and "mmm'd" appreciatively before digging in eagerly.

After breakfast, she gathered her things and headed into the forest again, heading for the clearing then the rock face she had taken the iron from. She began to dig at the stone and soon had a good batch of iron. She had asked for and recieved a small pair of bellows from Gobber and he'd also given her some very basic forging materials. She set them up and put the rocks to cooking again. She checked them and found they were cooling much faster than she had thought. She took a trowel and poked the metal. It spat fire and shone brightly, showing that it was still hot underneath. She scraped off as much as she could and flung it in a corner of the opening she had made. Her arms ached when she returned to the bellows again.

Once the fires were roaring delightfully, she turned back to making the area bigger, clearing out big piles of stone and digging out sections of the cave floor to replace them with the rock she had dug out that she wasn't using for cooking. She came across a bit streak of black rock that almost crumbled in her hands. She chipped some off and took it back to the village. She found Gobber neck deep in Vikings and waited patiently, all the while thinking about the rocks she was cooking. Finally there was a lull in the crowd and he gestured for her to come over.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked when she gave it to him. "Ah, you found some coal."

"What's that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"It's what makes fire super hot, like my forge. If you use this as well as wood, your fires will grow big and strong."

"Oh, okay," she said before skipping off back to the forest. She returned just in time to throw the coal into the fire and return to pumping the bellows. She looked in again and scraped the black rock off the top of the metal, which she later learned was called "slag."

Then she tilted the metal into the small molds Gobber had given her. They hissed and spat alarmingly, but she didn't flinch, not even when pieces of molten metal landed on her face. She was afraid if she let go it would slosh out all over her. Slipping on leather gloves she had been loaned, Speranza picked up the molds and ran them down to the creek, dropping them in when she reached it. The sudden change of hot to cold caused the water to bubble and growl as the metal bars she had made cooled. Once she was sure the metal was cool and the molds were too, she took them out of the stream and brought them back up to her makeshift forge. She hit the containers against a table she had made and the bars popped out of the molds. She frowned, then remembered that Gobber would be able to fix the color by using a stiff bristled brush. She gathered all the bars she had made and made her way out of the forest back home.

Gobber's jaw dropped when he saw how many she had made. He scrubbed the metal and slid a small brush her way. She picked it up and mimicked his actions, pushing as hard as she could. The metal shone brightly in the firelight. They were both exhausted by the end of the pile. Together they made some stew quickly. After eating, Speranza tried to follow him out the door but kept falling asleep on his arm. He sighed and smiled tiredly, looking at her. He picked her up and saw Stoick watching.

"She's tired. Come here and I'll show you why she has a good reason to be," he whispered loud enough to be heard. The chief nodded and followed them into Gobber's house. While the blacksmith carried Speranza up the stairs and put her in bed, tucking her in and putting her toy in her arms, Stoick was sitting, stunned into silence, staring at the pile of iron bars on the table.


	12. Chapter 12

Speranza slept good that night. The next morning the sound of metal being hammered woke her. She went down stairs, scrubbing her eyes sleepily, and made a quick porridge breakfast. She went out to the forge where Gobber was working feverishly. She set his bowl down with a spoon in it.

"Good morning," she greeted him cheerfully. He stopped and turned to her, then quickly put the iron in the flames again.

"Morning," he said to her. She pushed his bowl towards him and he picked it up. She hopped up onto the counter and sat while they enjoyed their breakfast. "Sleep good?"

"Yup. You?" she asked between mouthfuls of food.

"I-" He had to swallow or he would have spat out the porridge. "I slept well enough."

"Do you want me to make more metal?" she asked.

"If you want to," he said. He pointed with his spoon at the iron he was working with. "I'm not even three bars into the pile you brought home yesterday. This is some of the best iron I've worked with in a long time."

She nodded silently. After they finished their meals, Gobber took her bowl and set it in his own before taking them inside and coming out with a sturdy little pick and a bunch of torches.

"Stoick tells me you need torches so you can keep mining. Why didn't you tell me that?" he asked her gently.

"I didn't want to bother you," she answered honestly. "Plus I was embarrassed. I don't like asking for things."

"I noticed. It's okay to ask for help sometimes, Speranza." He patted her on the back. "Go have fun today, okay?" He leaned over and smiled at her. She looked up at him and smiled back.

She nodded. "Okay." She took the pick when he held it out to her and then ran to get her basket. As she was heading into the forest, Hiccup spied her and ran up to her.

"Morning, Speranza!" he sang.

"Hi," she said, not pausing her travel.

"Where're you off to?"

"To my rock face. I've been finding something Gobber says is iron ore. I've been cooking it there too."

"Cool! Can I come with you? I wanna see that."

She looked at him suspiciously. She couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. "It's gonna take a long time to turn the rocks into iron bars. Are you sure you still want to come?"

"Er, maybe not," he said when he heard that. "I guess I'll see you around then, k?"

"Okay," she said. He turned and went back to the village and she resumed her trek to the rock face. She dropped her stuff when she arrived and sparked up the fires and torches, getting them burning brightly before too long. Then she shouldered her pick and headed to the back of the cave-like indent she was making. She began digging for all she was worth, soon coming across a strong vein of coal then a short while later she happened across another two of iron. She set aside some coal for Gobber and put the rest in her makeshift furnaces, soon having them almost unbearable to be near.

She threw the iron ore into the top part of the furnaces and then turned back to attack the walls again. She broke through on one swing and pulled back, unsure whether to continue. Her curiosity took over and she dug a hole to see. Something rushed toward her, making her turn and throw herself to the ground, covering her head, scared.

She glanced up when the rush was done. Bats. That's what had been living in the cave she broke through to. She dug further, widening the hole. She pulled out a torch and lit it. Her eyes bulged. She hadn't just dug into a cave, she'd found a ravine. She dashed back to her main area, about fifty feet away, and dug through her things. Then she checked and slagged the iron ore before running to the village. She skidded to a halt by Stoick. She shyly tugged on his sleeve. He turned and looked down at her.

"Hello, Speranza," he said.

"I need rope, please," she said to him. He was a big intimidating man, but not unfriendly. He gestured for her to follow and she did.

"Here," he said handing her a rope from the supply shed. It was really big and long.

"Thank you," she wheezed, gathering the rope in both arms. She wasn't sure if it would be long enough for her to fully explore the ravine, but she would try. She carried it back to her mine and spliced it as best she could, splitting the material into two bundles. She carried a couple torches back to the ravine and set one down for light, and dropped the other one off the ledge to see how far it fell before it stopped. _One Monstrous Nightmare, two Monstrous Nightmares, three Monstrous Nightmares, four Monstrous Nightmares, five Monstrous Nightmares,_ she counted in her head. She knew that for every second that passed, measured in Monstrous Nightmares, the torch fell about fifteen feet. She stopped counting at ten, which is when the torch flared and sparked as it hit the ground far below. The plateau she was on sat a hundred fifty feet above the bottom of the crevasse.

She looked at the rope. She chewed both her lips thoughtfully. She tied the end of one half of the rope to a rock and spliced the other to the first rope's free end. She looked down. Swallowing hard, she could really only hope that her splicing skills were sufficient enough to not come undone part way down. She'd be stuck otherwise. _Maybe I should go get help_ , she thought to herself. She looked down at the dying torch and nodded. She tore down the tunnel she had made and raced back to the village, stopping briefly to check the iron. It still needed to heat further. She ran to Gobber's forge, where he was just finishing up dealing with a customer. He wiped his brow and smiled down at her when she stopped in front of him.

"What're you running from?" he asked.

"I found a big cave in my mine. I don't think a rope I got is going to be strong enough to let me go exploring," she said between bouts of sucking for air.

"Well let's go see this cave of yours," he said seriously. There was a fair amount of humor in his eyes. On their way out of town, they roped Stoick into coming with them. Speranza lead them to her forge and the men had to bend way over to crawl through the tunnel. When they straightened on the other side, Stoick's jaw hit the floor. Gobber's soon followed suit.

"See, I told ya it was a big cave!" she said smugly. The two men looked at each other then gaped at her before returning their dumbstruck gazes to the ravine. "It's a hundred fifty feet deep. I dropped a torch, see?"

She pointed down and they looked. There was still just enough light to be seen, but not enough to illuminate the area. Her voice echoed off the walls.


	13. Chapter 13

Stoick blinked rapidly before snapping out of it. "This is incredible," he said, awed at the sight. His voice, though quiet, still bounced off the walls.

"Yeah, I don't know if the rope is long enough to reach the bottom," Speranza explained. "It would take a long time to mine down there."

Gobber clapped his jaw shut with an audible pop. He nodded, looking around before leaning over to look down at the dying torch. Glancing at a beaming Speranza, he stepped over to her and put an arm around her. "Good discovery, Speranza," he said.  
"I also found some coal. I have a basket set aside for you because the vein I found, I think, is big enough for both this place as well as your forge."

"Thank you," he said. Stoick silently turned and squeezed back through the tunnel before leaving the cave entirely. Concerned, Gobber and Speranza followed. "What's wrong, Stoick?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to get out of that cave," he said. "I'll bring a longer rope for you to explore tomorrow, okay, Speranza? Don't do anything stupid in the meantime."

"Okay," she said. She trotted over to check the iron and slag it one more time before throwing in some more coal. She then began working the bellow, bringing the temperature up rapidly. She then rolled the molds over to the pouring station and slipped the leather gloves on. After that, she grabbed the cauldron and poured the molten metal into the molds, which made the iron hiss. Gobber waddled off briefly before returning with a large trough of water. He set it down and put his own glove on so he could help her with the molds. She finished one mold and nudged it aside and moved on to the next one.

Gobber grabbed the finished mold and dropped it into the cool water, followed quickly by the second when Speranza finished with it. They grabbed the first mold and knocked it upside down over the table. Then he smiled as she brought out a stiff brush and began working on cleaning the metal bars. He reached out his good hand and stopped her. "How about we go home now? It's lunch time," he said gently. "We can bring the bars you made so we can work on them together tonight. Sound good?"

"Okay," she said. They loaded a couple baskets and she gave him the basket of coal she had set aside, then they headed back to the village. When they arrived, there was a crowd by the forge. Gobber sighed.

"I'll be in shortly," he said to her before heading into the smithy. Speranza made a quick stew and brought him out a bowl.

"Eat this when you can," she said when he looked at her. He smiled at her again.

"Alright," he replied.


	14. Chapter 14

Speranza's curiosity begged her to swing down on the rope to explore the depths of the cavern she had discovered, but she kept herself busy by helping Gobber around the forge, scrubbing the bars they had made that day, and trying to stay awake. Though she had slept unbelievably well the night prior, she was still tired. She stood up from her stool where she was scrubbing more iron until it gleamed. A horn blew in the distance.

She tilted her head and looked out the window to see flocks of Vikings crowding to the docks, many looking excited. Heading out to the forge, she met Gobber and almost got bowled over. He helped her get her balance back.

"Oh, careful, Speranza!" he laughed. "Trader Johann's here today. Do you want to go down to the docks with me to see what he has for trade?"

"Okay," she said a little nervously. She followed him and a wiry man with a full beard with a matching head of brown hair was just disembarking from his ship.

"Ah, Berk! My favorite stop in the archipelago," she heard him say. She stuck close to Gobber, grabbing his hand when he held it back to her so she wouldn't get lost. The blacksmith shoved his way to the front. "Hello, Gobber! Who's this?" He pointed at her and she hid shyly behind her caretaker.

"This is Speranza. She's been living with me for a few days," he said looking down at her almost lovingly. Though they'd only been living together for a short while, they had a strong bond. She trusted him, and he knew it.

"Hi," she said, showing herself before nipping behind him again. She chewed her lower lip nervously.

Johann crouched and held out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Speranza. My name is Johann, but everyone calls me Trader Johann," he said kindly. She felt a little more at ease and shook his offered hand.

She followed Gobber like a little lamb as he wandered around the ship, browsing. "Need any scrap metal, Gobber? I've got some here somewhere," Johann said persuasively.

"No, don't need any scrap. Got some good iron Speranza made using some rocks she found," he said with a tired sigh. "Some of the best iron I've ever worked with." He smiled down at her and she beamed back up at him.

"So she's into mining, is she?" Johann said, a little disappointed.

"I guess," she replied.

"Do you have tools?"

"I have a pick. I made it myself." She held it out to him. He took it and looked it over appraisingly.

"Huh. A bit crude but by all means functional." He gave it back to her. "If you find any gemstones, let me know. I have some people I could give them to who would be very happy to trade."

"What's a gemstone?" He held up a finger as he looked around. He came back with a small bag.

"Here. Hold out your hands like a bowl." She did so and he poured very pretty colored rocks into her hands.

"Oooh!"

"They won't look like that at first. They'll look more like this." He reached into the bottom of the bag and pulled out dusty looking rocks. They weren't as pretty, but it was still easy to tell they were valuable. "They're usually found deep underground, often in extinct volcanoes. Now don't put yourself in danger, okay?"

"Okay." She poured the gems back into the bag. "I promise I won't."


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, Speranza prepared breakfast for her and Gobber. They were sitting down and getting ready to eat when a knock sounded on the door. She looked over curiously while Gobber got up.

"I'm ready to help Speranza get to the bottom of that pit she found," Stoick said cheerfully.

"Alright, just let us finish eating," Gobber grumbled. "Can't a man get any nourishment?"

"So-orry," Stoick said with a bit of a snark. Hiccup peeked out from behind his Dad. "Mind if we join you?"

"Sure. Get it yourself, though," Gobber said, not turning around from his bowl. He stuffed his face with porridge again and Speranza eagerly dug in herself.

After breakfast, Gobber and Stoick agreed that Hiccup would help out at the forge until the pit was easily traversed. Stoick grabbed an armload of wood and jerked his head toward the forest. Several other Vikings came out and gathered their own armloads, some bringing tools as well. Speranza picked up a log in both arms and also grabbed her mining basket. She was smiling giddily at the thought of exploring the depths of the cave she had found. They followed her until they reached the rock face.

"Where in Thor's name is it, Stoick?" growled Spitelout, Snotlout's dad.

"It's through there, now calm down!" bellowed Stoick. He set his armload of wood down and everyone else followed suit. He pulled out a huge pick and began expanding on the tunnel and main room so he could fit through easily. Meanwhile other Vikings grabbed axes and set out for the forest, soon returning with massive tree trunks, long enough to reach to the bottom of the cavern. They shaved them down while Speranza watched. She shivered a little as a crisp morning breeze wafted by her. She remembered in a snap the warmth the furnaces had given off so she hurriedly ignited the fires in her two little forges. Soon they were roaring delightfully hot and everyone gathered around to get warmed up. Stoick came back, brushing stone dust from his beard and clothes.

"Now, let's get these supporting posts into position, like we discussed last night!" ordered Stoick. There were a few muted sighs as the group dispursed to grab the four trunks they had brought back from the forest. They brought them through the tunnel, raising them above their heads to fit through.

"Why isn't she doing anything?" whined Snotlout as he sat down near the fire.

"Because she found the cavern and will be the one running it, if she so chooses! Now, on your feet and start bringing the tools down the tunnel!"

Snotlout got up with a groan and made a big deal out of dragging the stuff down the tunnel. Four dull thuds could be heard and Speranza smiled when she realized the support posts had gone in easily. Vikings once again began filtering back out, only to grab their armloads of planks and lug them back to the cavern. Speranza followed them with a couple smaller supporting beams in her own arms. She realized it was almost pitch black in the tunnel and quickly sparked up a few torches. She went around the edge of the pit and stuck them in the walls, lighting the place up and making it indefinitely easier to see. A few villagers murmured thanks to her.

Stoick beckoned for her to follow. She met the group outside and they spread out a sheet of paper on the table. "Would you like a rope-and-pulley system or a stairs system? Rope-and-pulley would mean you'd need to pull yourself up along with a wooden platform, but the stairs would mean you'd be carrying whatever you mined up hundreds of steps."

"Uhm, I think the rope-and-pulley system. It'll make it easier to keep anything dangerous down there if I need to get away quickly." Stoick's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. He hadn't expected that logic.

"Fair enough. Rope-and-pulley it is." He looked around at the gathered men. "She wants a rope-and-pulley system, so let's get to work!"

"May I suggest something?" she asked. He looked down at her. "Can it maybe do this?" She drew out a design for the system. "Pulling on this side of the rope would raise it, pulling on that side would lower it. That way I can do it without help."

Stoick and several others nodded in response. They were impressed that she was quite independent, though she had only just turned six. By noon, they were finished. The chief and the others headed back to the village. She joined them so she could have lunch then went back to the mine. She grinned as she descended into the pit, several torches with her. She spiked them along the way down so she could still see. Along the way she saw what looked like a bleeding rock. She pulled out her little pick and dug it out. She used a stiff brush and almost squealed in delight as the mineral turned a vibrant red in the torch light.

Pulling out a small bag, she dropped it in and tied the bag to her hip. Then she continued her descent into the darkness below.


	16. Chapter 16

A while later, Speranza had filled her basket with minerals and the bag at her hip was heavy, almost dropping her skirt and leggings.

She wiped her brow and headed back to the lift. She set down her stuff and hauled herself up. Ten minutes later she saw her tunnel and grabbed her things. She tied her belongings securely together and headed out of the mine. The sun had set about ten minutes prior. She made her way back to the village where Gobber was just getting ready to head into the forest after her.

"Good day?" he asked when he saw her, relief evident on his face.

"Very good," she said nodding eagerly.

* * *

The next day, Trader Johann was packing up and preparing to leave when she scampered down to the docks to catch up to him.

"Excuse me," she said politely. He turned and looked down at her. "Hello. I was wondering if you still want to trade?"

He knelt down to look her in the eyes. She held out the bag with the gemstones in it and he looked in. His mouth was a perfect "O" of surprise. Getting a grip on himself, he snapped his jaw shut and gestured to his wares. "Choose whatever you want, miss Speranza."

She wandered around before the sun glinted off a metal object. She picked it up and looked at it. If she just straightened it out, she could turn it into a mining helmet that would keep her safe in the mines.


	17. Chapter 17

Speranza headed back to Gobber's house. When she arrived, she headed inside. Her caretaker had prepared a stew and they sat down to eat.

"How was your day?" Gobber asked her.

"It was great," she said with a happy little smile. "How was yours?"

"It was pretty good. So-" She looked up at him as he started to talk then stopped himself. "Nevermind."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" he said. She nodded. After supper she started cleaning up when Stoick arrived. He didn't really knock, he just walked in. She didn't really think it was odd as he was the chief.

"Good evening, Gobber, Speranza," he said in greeting.

"Hello, Stoick," they chimed together.

"Why don't you go out and play, Speranza? Stoick and I have some things to discuss," Gobber said. "Go play with the kids, okay? It'll do you good to play with someone."

Her nervousness was apparent. "Do I have to?"

Stoick seemed to understand her fears. "Don't worry, Snotlout won't be mean, and he's not as tough as he seems," he said. "Besides, the other kids will keep him in line."

"Oh, okay, then I guess." She started to head upstairs to bring her toy, but decided against bringing it. She didn't want it to get lost again. She straightened her back and took a deep breath before heading out again. Once outside, she had no idea where to go. She found her way to the Great Hall and sat down at an empty table.

* * *

Stoick sat down across from Gobber. The two friends were seated on opposite sides of the fire pit.

"So what'd you want to talk about, Gobber?" Stoick asked.

Gobber stared into the fire after he sighed. Eventually he got around to speaking again. "I think I want to adopt Speranza. The wee lass is growing on me," he said.

"Aye," Stoick said with a laugh. "She's pretty clever. Are you sure you want to take her? I haven't held any sort of meeting with the adults about it."

"Yes, I'm sure," he said. "I don't want her to be stressed about any other changes. She's had such a rough start in life. Agh! Look at me, gettin' sentimental. I'm a Viking! I-"

"I know," Stoick cut him off. "Kids work their way into hearts. If I didn't know better, I'd say they probably do it to survive." They chuckled then lapsed into a comfortable silence. "Would you like to make it official tomorrow or let her in on it?"

"I'd like to let her know before we make it official. That way, she has a say in it, and doesn't feel unimportant," Gobber said. Stoick nodded in understanding.

After a while, Stoick clapped his hands on his thighs and rose. "Well, if that was all, and if we're done here, then I'd best be getting home; it's getting late," he said.

Gobber nodded as well and suppressed a yawn. "I'll go look for Speranza and bring her home." Both of them kind of smirked at that, a small, kind of quirky smile.

"Alright, if I find her, I'll give you a shout," Stoick said. He opened the door and there stood Speranza, looking eager to get inside. The chief turned sideways and gave an almost goofy smile as he suppressed laughter. "Found her."

"Aye, I can see that. Come on in, Speranza," Gobber said. "Have you been outside the door this whole time?"

"No, I went to the Great Hall but was too nervous to talk to anyone, so I sat alone. Then after a while, I decided to come back here," she said.


	18. Chapter 18

Gobber beckoned her over when Stoick left. She sat down beside him and stared glumly into the fire as it slowly died.

"What's eating you?" he asked her gently.

"It's embarrassing that I'm afraid of people who haven't hurt me," she said honestly.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry about that. Courage will come to you when you least expect it. Now, I have a surprise for you," he said, nerves tightening his stomach. She looked at him curiously. "I've been doing some thinking, and I was wondering if you'd like me to adopt you, to become your new father." Her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not going to hurt you, which you should know by now, and I'll always be there for you when you need me. So what do you say? Would you like to live here?"

"You mean, like, forever?" she asked, awed.

"Well, yes, if you'd like," he said gently with a kind smile. She was silent for a while, turning to study the flames. "Speranza?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want me to adopt you?"

More silence. Finally she looked up at him, an almost blindingly bright, happy smile on her face. She threw her arms around Gobber's neck. "Yes! I would like that," she said excitedly. He chuckled and hugged her back.

"Great! I've already spoken with Stoick, and he's arranging everything else with Gothi so it can be official as soon as tomorrow," he said.

"Yay!" she cheered. They both yawned after a bit, worn out from the days respective activities.

His bones and joints ached from working in the forge all day, and she was all tuckered out from working in her mine. "Let's get some sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow," he said. She nodded and scampered upstairs to her room.

She snuggled down into her bed, not expecting sleep to find her that night. Her Gronckle stuffed animal was cuddled in her arms. Gobber came in and tucked her in, kissed her forehead, ruffled her hair, then left, heading to his own room. She closed her eyes happily and soon dropped off to sleep, exhaustion claiming her over joy.


End file.
